1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of irrigation apparatus. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a non-clogging non-pressure compensated drip emitter.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are multiple types of irrigation drippers. Simple drippers exist that are inserted serially along pipe, either by forcing a hole into the pipe and placing the dripper on the outside of the pipe, or by cutting the pipe and inserting the dripper in line with the pipe. These systems require great amounts of labor when providing a watering system for a large agricultural area for example.
Other types of drippers include drip emitters that are inserted into pipe, generally when the pipe is extruded. This type of dripper system enables rapid deployment of great lengths of pipe, i.e., dripper line, wherein the drippers may be ordered for certain distances along the pipe for example. There are may types of emitters that may be inserted into the pipe including non-pressure compensated drippers that may provide more flow in lower areas of an agricultural drip irrigated area. Other types of emitters include pressure compensated drip emitters that provide compensated drip volumes regardless of the depth or height or pressure difference in an agricultural drip irrigated area.
Currently known drip emitters may clog over time for a variety of reasons. Many of the reasons for clogging in currently known drip emitters are related to or a result of non-turbulent pathways, i.e., laminar transfer zones or any path of water flow that is straight enough to allow sediment to settle. For example, between the inner portion of the emitter to the pool area of the emitter, if a transfer zone is formed as a straight line, for example across a mold joint, sediment accumulates in the non-turbulent zone over time and eventually forms a clog as sediment settles.
In addition, drip emitters include a filter tend to clog when the emitter is rotated so as to locate the filter downward wherein sediment settles, which clogs the filter. In addition, emitters that utilize only one hole may clog if covered by soil for a rock for example. In these situations, a second hole is not utilized to provide a level of redundancy.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a non-clogging non-pressure compensated drip emitter.